Andy Li, andy.li@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Sierra Club and its partners are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to release vital information from Mountain Valley Pipeline’s biological assessment for the proposed Southgate extension.
In their Nov. 18 letter, the Sierra Club and its partners told FERC that MVP redacted non-privileged information – and that FERC "should release the information for which Mountain Valley has requested privileged treatment but has not provided adequate justification, or require Mountain Valley to promptly file a public version of its Updated BA that strictly limits redactions to any information that the company credibly demonstrates warrants privileged treatment.”
MVP initially filed the biological assessment in August, which contained the company’s evaluation of the impacts of Southgate on nearby endangered species and their habitat, but did not make it available to the public. After the Sierra Club and partners pushed back, MVP eventually filed a public version but made broad, unsupported claims that key portions needed to be redacted.
In September, the Sierra Club and partners criticized MVP’s attempts to conceal the impacts of Southgate with its overbroad redactions, and in October, FERC staff stated that they were considering recommending that the Commission release the information and noted that MVP could file an appropriately redacted version. Despite its clear failure to provide transparent information to the public, MVP continues to refuse to release non-privileged material in its biological assessment.
In response, Sierra Club Campaign Organizing Strategist Caroline Hansley released the following statement:
“It’s been clear from the beginning that MVP Southgate is totally unnecessary for the public good– even FERC found that the project could be unnecessary in its own Environmental Assessment. The communities this pipeline could run through have fought against it year after year. Mountain Valley Pipeline is now doing its best to keep the public in the dark because it knows everyday Americans are organized and ready to fight for our local environment and communities. FERC must ensure the public has access to all the relevant information that could help keep our endangered species safe and our impacted communities informed.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.